Washington launches full-scale review of religious killings in Nigeria amid threats of sanctions and military action, prompting fierce pushback from Abuja
Our Reporter
The United States Congress has begun a sweeping investigation into alleged large-scale attacks on Christians in Nigeria, deepening diplomatic tensions between Washington and Abuja following President Donald Trump’s redesignation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) for religious freedom violations.
The House of Representatives Subcommittee on Africa will hold an open hearing on Thursday, 20 November 2025, at the Rayburn House Office Building, where senior US officials, religious leaders, and policy experts will give testimony on what American lawmakers describe as “severe” and “systemic” religious persecution in Africa’s most populous nation.
The hearing, chaired by Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ), will feature high-level officials such as Jonathan Pratt, the Senior Bureau Official for African Affairs, and Jacob McGee, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights and Labour. The second panel will include notable voices such as Nina Shea of the Centre for Religious Freedom and Bishop Wilfred Anagbe of the Makurdi Catholic Diocese, who has long warned of escalating attacks on Christian communities in Benue and other Middle Belt states.
The congressional probe comes in the wake of Trump’s 31 October designation of Nigeria as a CPC — a move that could trigger sanctions on Nigerian officials, curtail US development assistance, and, in extreme cases, pave the way for American military action. The designation has sparked fierce debate globally and stirred controversy within Nigeria’s political and religious landscape.
A Charge of Genocide — and a Diplomatic Flashpoint
Trump, in an unusually forceful statement, claimed Christianity faces an “existential threat” in Nigeria, alleging that radical Islamist groups and militant Fulani herders are killing Christians “in their thousands”. He warned that the US would halt aid and was prepared to take “fast, vicious, and sweet” military action if the Nigerian government failed to curb the violence.
He stated, “If the Nigerian Government continues to allow the killing of Christians, the USA will immediately stop all aid and assistance… and may very well go into that now-disgraced country, ‘guns-a-blazing.’”
President Bola Tinubu sharply rejected the accusations, describing them as a misrepresentation of Nigeria’s constitutional commitment to religious freedom. In a statement on X (formerly Twitter), he insisted, “Nigeria stands firmly as a democracy governed by constitutional guarantees of religious liberty… The characterisation of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality.”
US Lawmakers Push Back
Despite Abuja’s rebuttal, several US lawmakers maintain that Nigeria faces a grave religious crisis. Congressman Riley Moore (R-WV) said in an interview that the House Appropriations Committee had already begun gathering “ground truth” on the killings.
“What is going on is horrific — these killings of brothers and sisters in Christ,” he said, insisting that the death toll is “five to one, Christians versus Muslims”.
Moore further alleged that blasphemy laws, arbitrary detentions, and targeted killings demonstrate complicity by Nigerian authorities, a claim the Nigerian government has dismissed as misleading.
Voices from the Ground
Bishop Wilfred Anagbe, set to testify before the US Congress, has been one of the most outspoken critics of the security situation in Benue State. In an address to UK parliamentarians earlier this year, he described communities “burned, displaced, and attacked without consequence”.
“The militant Fulani herdsmen bear down on defenceless villagers… They attack even those who have managed to escape into our IDP camps,” he told lawmakers.
International Ripple Effects
The controversy has also drawn attention from global religious leaders. Pope Leo XIV, in a recent statement on X, expressed concern about targeted violence against Christians in Nigeria, Mozambique, Sudan, and Bangladesh, urging peace and solidarity.
Conversely, other US lawmakers have sought to calm diplomatic tensions. Congressman Bill Huizenga told Arise TV that Trump’s warning of military action was likely rhetorical, noting, “I don’t envision that there’s going to be a military response… Economic sanctions are far more probable.”
Tinubu Sends Peace Envoys to Calm Domestic Tensions
Back home, Tinubu has moved to ease rising communal tensions, particularly in the North Central region. Last week, presidential emissary Dr Abiodun Essiet met Christian and Fulani leaders in Plateau State, where local disputes — including a recent conflict over destroyed farmland — were mediated. Compensation was paid, and parties agreed to a peace pact.
The presidency says such grassroots engagements form part of a long-term strategy to stabilise regions hit hardest by inter-communal violence.
Next Steps: A Crucial Hearing
The upcoming US congressional hearing is expected to outline potential policy actions, including sanctions, targeted aid, and possible collaboration with Nigeria to address insecurity. The Senate will also consider a companion bill sponsored by Senator Ted Cruz.
As Washington prepares to publicly scrutinise Nigeria’s religious landscape, the Tinubu administration faces the twin challenge of defending the nation’s international reputation while grappling with the complex reality of insecurity at home.
Whether the probe leads to punitive measures or renewed cooperation could shape US-Nigeria relations for years to come.